Counter height - too high?

11 years ago

My cabinets are partially installed and although the counters are not down yet, I am wondering if the base cabs are too high.

They have put sheets of wood down on top of the bases ... I'm assuming this will stay to support the countertop material.

I've measured from the floor to the top of the wood and it's at 36". When the counters are installed, won't that be too high?

What is standard?

I am 5'3" so maybe it's "just me".

Thanks!
Deanne

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Comments (16)

User
11 years ago
The top of my counters are 37". I'm 5'5". It is normal. :)
phiwwy
11 years ago
Mine are at 36", top of counter. My guess is they will remove the wood toppers, as the granite should go down right onto the bases. Often the installers put plywood on the bases for convenience.
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I think you could but then I'm notoriously unhandy and have been set straight a number of times by DH or contractors on the exact was to accomplish something. In my old kitchen with an L-shaped arrangement the range sat a one end of the short leg on a raised platform. The sink was in the middle of the long leg and the dishwasher sat next to it on a raised platform. All of the base cabinets were built with a standard toekick and an extra 2 inches in the useful space so that the countertop sat at 38" high. I don't see why the cabinets couldn't also sit on a raised plywood base along with the appliances but you're probably better off asking the cabinet maker as they would have the practical knowledge of how to do this.
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I don't know what you intend to do regarding backsplash height (that's the distance b/w the finished counter and the bottom of the upper cabinet and light rail), but here's what I usually tell people when they're considering the height for their backsplash. The standard is 18"...regardless of the reasons why, it's still the standard.. How this affects your kitchen.... Refrigerator and other tall cabinet heights...Because wall cabinets are meant to be mounted at a standard height, cabinet manufacturers take this into account when designing tall cabinets. Tall cabinets are designed to be the same height as the installed wall cabinets so the tops all line up. When you change the height a wall cabinet is installed at, it affects cabinet top alignments. With the refrigerator you can usually mount the upper cabinet a little lower OR order a shorter upper cabinet, but be sure you don't make the alcove any shorter than 72" tall b/c newer refrigerators are 70" to 72" tall (and seem to get taller each year!) With other tall cabinets like oven cabinets and pantry cabinets, they're a standard height and designed so they're the same height as the wall cabinets when those wall cabinets are installed 18" above a 36" high counter. If you have custom cabinets, this may not be an issue b/c your cabinetmaker can adjust the cabinet heights. But, if you are using stock or even some semi-custom cabinets, you cannot change the height. You can often get taller cabinets for use w/36" or 42" tall wall cabinets, but not shorter for 30" mounted lower. But, even those that are taller are also adjusted based on standard wall cabinet heights + an 18" backsplash height. Small appliance height...Small appliance manufacturers often design their products to meet this 18" standard...for example, my KA stand mixer (bowl lift) is around 17" and many coffeemakers and blenders are just short of 18". So, you need to be sure you have room under the cabinets + light rail to fit those appliances. Small appliances... Keep in mind that if you're using an appliance on your counter, you must be sure you have room under the base cabinets to move that appliance around easily. Don't, for example, tell yourself you're only going to use it in front of your upper cabinets so you don't need to worry about its fit. In reality, you will be moving things around on your counter while you work and most likely your appliance will be moved under the cabinets at some point. You don't want to tear your light rail off or damage it (or the cabinets). Also remember that "standard" upper cabinets are 12" deep + 1" for the door...so they stick out 13" over your counter...leaving you only 12" or so of workspace in front of the upper cabinets...not much room to work in by itself! (If you have deeper upper cabinets...say 15", there's even less counter frontage in front of your upper cabinets...3" less, so 9".) Vertical workspace... Another consideration is vertical work...
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These are my pics of my countertops placed Friday June 22, 2018. I cried looking at these seams. It looks so cheap. Fabricator explains that's the way it comes. I explained that I shouldn't be able to see the seams so clearly. It looks so unprofessional. They ended up taking them back to their warehouse. In hopes they say if it is quality control will try and fix it just to make it look better. Otherwise I will have to pay an additional fee for them to come out again to install. I just don't know what to do and if still looks the same. This is the first time I've replaced my counters in 24 years. I don't and can't live with it. looking at this for another 24 years. It looks so cheap and it really was not it's a lot of money to me. I hope fingers crossed that they will fix this problem. They never told me that there would be such seams. I thought the edges were done by a machine and it would be all one piece. I have read up on this and now understand there are seams. But now I do know that they should not look like this. If they are good fabricator you shouldn't be able to see them so clearly. I will find out next week what happens.
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2LittleFishies
11 years ago
I believe 36" including countertop is standard. I lowered mine b/c I am short. My island is finished at 34 1/2" and my baking center is about 33 1/2".

The L is 36" though b/c of the dishwasher.
blackchamois
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you all. The guy is coming today to template so I will ask him. My concern is at 37" it will be uncomfortable. As it is, I think my uppers are too high as well :(
User
11 years ago
My uppers felt high at first too. I believe we develop "muscle memory" from habitual movements. After a few days, all was well.
Donaleen Kohn
11 years ago
someone posted this a while ago...scroll down to the section on counter height

Here is a link that might be useful: ergonomics
camphappy
11 years ago
How thick is your floor going to be? If you are putting in 3/4 inch flooring that will take up some space.
Bunny
11 years ago
I don't know where BlackChamois lives, but here in the Bay Area they use a 5/8-inch plywood base under the counter. So it's possible it's not coming off.
breezygirl
11 years ago
My Carrara perimeter measures 36.5" off the ground, and my walnut island measures 36" off the ground. It did take me a several days to get used to the new height as my old kitchen was 34" or so. Same with the uppers--my in old kitchen they were too low to scoot the KA mixer under all the way. Now that my uppers are of standard height, my mixer fits with sufficient clearance. I really like both new heights.
lalithar
11 years ago
Your counters sound too high for you. Based on others from GW, I asked for lower "finished height" on my main prep/ cooking counter run and I am glad I did. In my earlier kitchen with 37" finished counter height, I had to be on tippy toes to peer into the pot and pull out the step stool to even reach the second shelf. My back was killing me. I even had kitchen platform heels. If your toe kick is tall enough, they may be able to lower it. Speak up now.
oceangirl67
11 years ago
Wear heels.
blackchamois
Original Author
11 years ago
camphappy - My floors are already in. The cabs were installed on top.

linelle - I am in So Cal. I will ask the GC when he comes today.

breezy - But are you short like me? :)

latlitha - Thanks. I will ask about that!

oceangirl - :) Heals - good for work, going out ... just don't want them to be a requirement in my kitchen/
drbeanie2000
11 years ago
I always wear shoes from a "comfort line" in the kitchen that get me a couple more inches. Standard counter tops are okay I guess, but cooking on the gas range, whose burners are pretty tall, is very uncomfortable when shoeless. I'm 5'3". At least my head doesn't hit the 27" deep range hood, which happens to my 6'1" DH.

Do they make platform Crocs?
Buehl
11 years ago
How thick is your stone?

If it's 2cm, the plywood subtop will stay to provide extra support for the stone.

If it's 3cm, you do not need the subtop.

In general (in the USA) - west coast has 2cm stone, the rest of the country has 3cm stone. Yes, there are exceptions.
fav.auntx2
11 years ago
I'm 5'5" and my bathroom vanity is 36 or 37". Its actually pretty perfect. So much so that I am raising the counters a bit in the kitchen to be a final 37" or so. I personally hate leaning over my chopping board. Hurts my back and its just not right!

We decided the height by me standing and going through motions of routine tasks (make-up, flat iron, teeth, etc .yes we are silly gooses!!!) Took a couple measurements and viola! Yes it's way taller than my mothers 1980's vanities but oh so much better.

Do not panic! it will be ok. Maybe even better than ok :)
blackchamois
Original Author
11 years ago
drbeanie - I'll have to look into some comfortable platforms! I do have some platform Teva's :)

buehl - My stone will be Caesarstone Raven which is I think 3/4" thick. The counter guy said I do need the plywood. I asked if a slightly thinner piece of plywood could work and he said yes, but then he would have to reduce the overhang on the edge from 1.5" to 1.25" so that it would not interfere with the cabinet doors/drawers. My GC also came out today and said that there was nothing he could do with the cabinets (everything - the bases, cabs, and plywood were all the required height). In the end, I decided to keep as is. And I think it will be okay.

favaunt - Not silly gooses ... sounds like a great idea. Donaleen also posted something on ergonomics that was a good reference. Thanks for your encouraging words. I am feeling a bit better about things now.

Thank you all for your comments, advice, feedback!!

Counter height - too high?

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